The Czech Republic and Slovakia will purchase over 400 Swedish CV90 MkIV infantry fighting vehicles.

European Security & Defense reports that Jana Černochová, Czech Defence Minister, and Jaroslav Naď, her Slovak counterpart, signed an agreement regulating the joint procurement and operation of the CV90 MkI.

The agreement was signed on August 27, 2022, during the SIAF 2022 Airshow in Malacky, Slovakia.

New armored vehicles will serve as a replacement for the now in-service BMP-2 derivatives.

Slovakia has a total need for 223 vehicles, with purchases split into a first phase comprising 152 vehicles and a second one comprising 71.

The country has opted for the CV90 MkIV in seven modifications, including the CV9035 armed with a 35 mm automatic cannon as the IFV modification and a 120 mm Mortar Carrier modification.

The Czech Republic’s need is for 210 vehicles, and this includes a request for an IFV modification with a 30 mm automatic cannon.

The cooperative agreement also provides for the shared spare parts, logistics, and maintenance program. Thus, the two countries will coordinate with regard to the technical requirements of the procured vehicles to achieve high commonality.

The two countries also intend to conduct joint training for their CV90-equipped units.

As previously reported, in September of last year, the Slovak government approved the first phase of purchasing 152 units of new tracked armored vehicles to replace the outdated Soviet BMPs.

In July of this year, the Czech Republic decided that the CV90 would become the future infantry fighting vehicle of the country’s armed forces.

The decision to choose this infantry fighting vehicle came from the cancellation of the purchase tender after two out of the three contenders refused to accept the new terms.